Don't Call Me Abe

 The Lincolns: A Scrapbook Loot at Abraham and Mary

Author: Candace Fleming

Publisher: Schwartz & Wade Books

Year: 2008

ISBN: 9780375936180

Abraham Lincoln detested being called Abe. Mary Lincoln declared in 1830 that she was going to grow up and marry a president. Abraham grew a beard at the suggestion of an eleven-year-old girl in 1860. In 1861 Mary sought to go against protocol by insisting on planning all White House social events herself.  These are just a few of the interesting facts that are found in Flemings’ scrapbook about the lives of Abraham and Mary Lincoln.

Written in a journal style format with Old Times American typeface that makes it look something like an old time newspaper, this book contains a plethora of photographs, snippets of personal letters as well as informational inserts about this presidential couples’ children, pets, and life before the White House.  Personal recollections of friends, acquaintances, and family give this book an interesting and personal touch while the timeline at the front of the book and the extensive author notes at the back give further factual information about not only Abraham and Mary but their children and the events of the time.  An alphabetical index enables readers to find specific information without reading the entire text.

The author purposely concentrates on the personal aspects of the Lincolns rather than the political thus making this the perfect book for those reluctant young adult readers with enough photographs, letters, and original artwork to give the book a Guinness Book of Records feel that is irresistible. It contains enough information on politics, the Civil War and slavery to make it a reliable resource for reports and projects without the feel of a textbook.  It is all together an interesting and appealing look into the lives of two of the most famous people in America’s history.

Reviews/Awards:

Starred reviews

Boston Globe-Horned Book Award for Non-fiction

Presented in period typefaces, the boxed bits of text, sidebars, and numerous running heads and subheads add detail. From portraits to pets, the book contains a wide variety of graphics, including written and visual primary documents that enrich every spread. Notes, resources, and source notes are exemplary. It's hard to imagine a more engaging or well-told biography of the Lincolns. School Library Journal

Using the same innovative scrapbook format employed in Ben Franklin’s Almanac (2003) and Our Eleanor (2005), Fleming offers another standout biographical title, this time twining accounts of two lives—Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln—into one fascinating whole. Booklist Starred Review

The visuals range from the essential to the mundane—portraits, maps, battlefield scenes, political cartoons, dress patterns, a stovepipe hat and measurements for a pair of boots—and, along with clear writing and thematic organization, leave readers “feeling as if you have just visited old friends.” Redressing a wrong committed by many histories for young readers, Mary Lincoln is portrayed here as a multidimensional woman of intelligence and social conscience, and the issue of slavery is clearly and concisely handled. Kirkus Reviews

Connections:

Read the following books about Abraham Lincoln. Compare and contrast the information from each.

Lincoln: A Photobiography by Russell Freedman

The Silent Witness: A True Story of the Civil War by Robin Friedman

Lincoln Through the Lens: How Photography Revealed and Shaped an Extraordinary Life by Martin W. Sandler

Have student groups create a journal or scrapbook of the current President and First Lady.